Youth Voices

Appreciable Recovery Response by Japanese Government after March 11, 2011 Tsunami

Recently, I have been selected by the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan through proper selection procedure under KIZUNA ﴾Bond﴿ Project. KIZUNA project is launched by Japanese Government to promote the global understanding of Japan’s revival efforts, especially through youth, in response to the Great East Earthquake of March 2011 and related tsunami. There are mainly two types of programs one is short term and second is long term and youth from 41 different countries is invited. For short term project, which is of nearly 15 days and nearly 9700 young students are selected from different countries and 15 students from Pakistan have already visited Japan in November 2012. Other is a long term project which is of nearly 5 months and total 250 participants are invited from 41 countries. The total number of students selected from SAARC countries are 8 i.e. one student per country and I am selected to represent Pakistan.

I am currently staying in Yamaguchi University in Yamaguchi prefecture where I am being provided lectures along with other participants from SAARC countries. The subjects of study are versatile and cover different fields of social and applied sciences. Each working weak also contains one or two site visits to various industries, offices and forms. I am also have chance to visit the tsunami affected area in Rikuzentakata city: Iwate Prefecture along with other SAARC countries students and 10 university students from Taiwan. I am greatly impressed by the response of Japanese Government after great tsunami. I found various types of machines everywhere in the affected area, cleaning the debris and also the reconstruction process is taking place at great pace. During the site visit, I was invited by local family and deeply impressed by their hospitality, kindness and determination to rehabilitate the loss of tsunami. The language gape was filled by a Japanese official. I told them that Pakistani people feel very sorry on the great loss of lives and property and equally share the grief of Japanese brothers and sisters. Pakistanis people will contribute in the rehabilitation efforts through every possible means. I also took part in the volunteer works in the field of a local farmer along with other university students from SAARC block and Taiwan.

The education facilities in Japan are world class. The professors are quite welcoming and try their level best to transfer the knowledge to students. Labs are well equipped with latest equipment and technology. I am also planning to continue the Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Japan.

The industries strongly promote recycling are built in such a way that waste of one industry is being served as raw material for other and they never emit greenhouse gases above threshold levels. So, the environment is clean and healthy. Moreover, cement industries produce good quality cement from city waste and sewage. So, there is no need to develop the waste management sites or landfills.

The people of Japan are humble, hardworking and always greet with smile. Punctuality is specialty of Japanese people. Japan has great tourist attraction with green topography, healthy environment, well organized cities and sense of safety everywhere, any time.

According to my analysis, if someone wants to have education, research or is a tourist than Japan is a heaven for all of these categories.